Most of the time, just saying the word “spider” can elicit strong responses from people, whether it be fear and loathing or awe and wonder. No matter the opinion you have of spiders, chances are good there is a lot you don’t know about our eight-legged arachnid friends.

Spiders are incredible creatures that live on every continent except Antarctica. There are about 40,000 species around the world, with about 3,000 species living in the United States.

Spiders do not have chewing mouthparts. They commonly use digestive enzymes in their saliva to break down their prey before consuming it. Because spiders are generally small (except for the biggest species - the Goliath Birdeater spider can be the size of a small puppy!) they can only consume small food particles when they eat.

While spiders are helpful creatures that can benefit our environments, most people don’t enjoy finding them in their home, especially because some species can leave nasty bites. Spiders generally enter homes in two primary ways: entering through open, poorly screened windows and doors and through cracks and gaps around door and window frames.

Most of the time, spiders come inside the home looking for prey. The other most likely method of entry is accidentally hitchhiking inside boxes, on outdoor items and countless other things that are brought inside a home or business.

Contact DM Pest Control today if you have a spider problem that needs help!